I’m scrolling on TikTok. I see a video about Hurricane Milton – a dog, tied up and left to drown, is being rescued. I see another of a pig. I watch a meteorologist break down and cry on the news. I feel scared, I feel angry. I don’t know what the future holds for our planet and I am angry that not enough action has been taken by our government. I am angry about the public dismissal of science since the late 20th century. I am angry about the value of profit over people. Something needs to be done about it all.
I scroll to the next video. A funny compilation of cats. I forget my anger.
The rise of social media over the last 20 years has meant that current affairs and public discourse is more accessible than ever. New opinions and experiences are being heard, and important matters are reaching wider audiences. However, the rise of social platforms has also led to more uncertainty about the validity of news, echo chambers and misinformation, and ultimately a sense of apathy and inaction towards current events.
It is undeniable that there has been an increase in the discussion around political and current affairs, with many using their social media platforms to spread awareness about issues. This is particularly true about topics that might not enjoy the same spotlight in mainstream media.
An obvious example of this would be the fact that following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, it was a bystander, Darnella Frazier, who uploaded a video to her own account that she had taken among the crowd of onlookers during Floyd’s arrest. The ripple effect of this event was seismic.
Without social media, the world-shaking Black Lives Matter movement would not have had the impact it did. It was only after the outrage on social media did mainstream news outlets begin to follow suit – it is thanks to the power of the people on TikTok and Instagram that issues of racism and police brutality were brought into the spotlight.
But social media is a double-edged sword. The rise of short videos that we can endlessly scroll through has shortened our attention spans – throughout my pre-teen years, I was consistently reminded that goldfish have a longer attention span than children my age. It is an unfortunate reality that this short attention span holds true with wider current and political affairs. Political issues are becoming like trends, with those who follow them giving their undivided attention for only a brief period.
Think about it – how much is Black Lives Matter being discussed on people’s platforms anymore? Who is talking about the war in Ukraine on their TikTok livestreams? The current political trend is the war in Gaza, with social media users engaged in consistent discourse. But how long before we forget about the horrors happening there? How long until a new, rawer injustice comes along, and our attention is turned once again?
Another issue with social media-focused political discussion is the resulting apathy and performative activism that rises from its flames. It feels ironic to use the word ‘apathetic’ to describe the attitudes of so many following my description of the power social media has had in influencing current affairs, but it is true that prolific discourse on social media ultimately leads to a sense of apathy among the general public. This can be boiled down to two main causes: firstly, the bombardment of discussions, virtue signalling, and posts which deter people from engaging, and, secondly, over-exposure leading to desensitisation and perhaps a by-stander effect on our attitudes.
I can see how this may seem contradictory. Discussion of current events on social media has led to many taking to the streets and calling for change. People lobby in the House of Commons and set up encampments outside their universities – but these are minority cases.
Arguably, many more people engage in what can only be described as performative activism and nothing more, thinking that it is enough. Two prime examples of this are the “All Eyes on Rafah” AI-generated image that was reposted more than 47 million times on Instagram, and the ‘Blackout’ Instagram posts in 2020, in which everyone posted a black page to blackout people’s feeds.
While showing solidarity to a movement is important, it is unhelpful to these causes. Both ‘trends’ distracted from real and important information being spread. During the ‘Blackout’ day, black screens reached the top of the BLM hashtags, pushing others informative posts down and out of people’s algorithms. This encourages the belief that reposting is enough, leading people to move on and turn their attention to the next post.
Apathy can also arise from the desensitisation and pessimism we seem to have developed. Constantly seeing and sharing horrific images and videos means we are no longer shocked. We also may feel that there is no use in calling for change or taking action. If all we see is bad news, little hope for any positive change remains.
I have seen videos of people on fire in Gaza, of beheaded children. Most people I know have also seen similar content. We talk about it around the table during meals, or on the bus, as if what we have seen is normal. I want to make it clear that I do not think we should turn away from what is happening in the Middle East and ignore the suffering of others, but this over-exposure to the horrors means we are desensitised to the extreme. We can simply repost and scroll on, and not cast any further thought to the matter.
While the role social media has played in the discourse around current events is significant, it has ultimately led to desensitisation and an overall feeling of apathy. We are living in bubbles of social media, only acting within these spaces. For any real change to happen, we, unfortunately need to take real action.
